Accident Piper PA-23-250 N14360, Thursday 29 December 1983

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Date:	Thursday 29 December 1983
Time:	00:56 LT
Type:	Piper PA-23-250
Owner/operator:	Columbus Air Transport
Registration:	N14360
MSN:	27-7304945
Year of manufacture:	1972
Total airframe hrs:	7365 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming IO-540-C4B5
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	West Mifflin, PA - United States of America
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Executive
Departure airport:
Destination airport:	Burke Lakefront, OH
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
DURING THE COCKPIT PREFLIGHT THE PLT NOTICED AN UNSAFE NOSE GEAR INDICATION. THE PLT CHECKED THE NOSE GEAR & COULD SEE NOTHING UNUSUAL, & CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY INDICATING SYSTEM. DURING ROTATION THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED & THIS ACFT SLID DOWN THE RUNWAY. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE ACFT WAS PLACED ON JACKS & NO MALFUNCTIONS OF THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM WAS FOUND. HOWEVER, THE NOSE GEAR LEG, BRACES, & LOCKING MECHANISM WAS FOUND HEAVILY COATED WITH GREASE & SAND.

Probable Cause:

Accident investigation: